Tag Archive | "kyle shanahan"

All that awaits is the official announcement as Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak has agreed to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos.

A week after stating his commitment to remaining with Baltimore for the 2015 season, the 53-year-old now returns to the organization where he spent 20 years as a player and coach. Kubiak appeared content with the Ravens until Broncos general manager John Elway parted ways with head coach John Fox on Monday, which led to a change of heart from where he stood less than 24 hours earlier.

The Ravens were preparing for the strong possibility of Kubiak leaving from the point that he accepted an interview with the Broncos on Friday morning. Elway and Broncos president Joe Ellis traveled to Houston to close the deal with Kubiak on Sunday.

“Kubs did a great job with us and gets another shot at a dream job for him,” wide receiver Torrey Smith wrote on his official Twitter account Sunday night. “How can you be mad at a guy who did his job and was rewarded with a dream opportunity that wasn’t available when he said he was staying?”

The Denver Post reported Kubiak was finalizing a four-year contract with Denver on Sunday night.

Under Kubiak, the Ravens set franchise records in points score and total yards and finished 12th in the NFL in total offense and eighth in points scored. A disastrous running game that averaged a league-worst 3.1 yards per carry in 2013 rebounded to finish eighth in yards per game behind a revamped offensive line.

The Ravens will now have their fourth offensive coordinator in the last four seasons after Cam Cameron held the job for nearly five seasons at the start of head coach John Harbaugh’s tenure. Kubiak’s departure is particularly disappointing after quarterback Joe Flacco had arguably the finest regular season of his career, setting single-season highs in passing yards (3,986) and touchdown passes (27).

Quarterback coach Rick Dennison and tight ends coach Brian Pariani will be joining Kubiak on his staff in Denver, according to The Sun. To make matters worse, another potential candidate, Kyle Shanahan, is set to become the new offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons, per an ESPN report.

Since Dennison and Shanahan are no longer potential replacements, the Ravens could look at others such as former Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase and former Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman. In his last search for a new offensive coordinator, Harbaugh wasn’t afraid to explore the collegiate ranks when he took a look at names such as Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and former Oregon State and current Nebraska offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf.

With Steve Spagnuolo departing to become the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants last week, Harbaugh will now be faced with the task of replacing his offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach, and secondary coach this offseason. Offensive assistant Jay Harbaugh also left the Ravens last week to become the new tight ends coach at the University of Michigan under his father and new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

(Editor’s note: Kubiak was hired by Denver on Sunday night after this was published earlier in the day.)

Waiting on the inevitable.

That’s what it’s come to for the Ravens as all signs point directly to offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak becoming the next head coach of the Denver Broncos. According to ESPN, the sides will meet in Houston — where Kubiak lives — Sunday and the 53-year-old will accept the job if it’s offered by general manager John Elway.

A formal announcement reportedly wouldn’t come until Tuesday following the Martin Luther King holiday.

Below are five thoughts on Kubiak’s expected departure:

1. Kubiak didn’t pull a fast one on the Ravens.

Yes, the timing of Kubiak’s statement committing to staying in Baltimore last Sunday night was peculiar amidst the whispers about John Fox being let go in Denver, but labeling him Benedict Arnold is too harsh as he enjoyed being in Baltimore and even bought a home here. After 20 years with the Broncos as a player and assistant coach, Kubiak likely wouldn’t have reconsidered his stance for any other job but this one. The truth is he had committed to the Ravens for less than 24 hours before the Broncos job became available and the timing of his expected departure isn’t much different from when Jim Caldwell accepted the Detroit job on Jan. 14 of last year, so the Ravens aren’t “behind” in the search with their season having ended only last Saturday. If some want to call Kubiak disloyal, they can, but many of them would have also clamored for his dismissal if the offense faltered next year.

2. Even with the uncertainties, the Denver job is still a good one.

Make no mistake, there will be much to figure out for Kubiak and the Broncos with the uncertain future of Peyton Manning and a less-than-enviable salary cap situation, but those trying to suggest the coordinator is taking a “bad” job must forget why most NFL head coaching positions come open in the first place — because those teams are bad. Even if Manning retires or flounders in one final year, the Broncos have proven they’re committed to winning and are considered one of the finer organizations in the NFL. Unlike many situations around the league, Kubiak has a long track record with Elway, who will practice more patience for his close friend and former teammate if things are rocky in the first year or two. You could make the argument that the Denver situation isn’t ideal for a potential offensive coordinator with the Manning factor, but there are only 32 head jobs to be had.

3. Baltimore knew this would be a possibility from the moment Kubiak was hired last January.

When the organization enticed Kubiak to come to Baltimore rather than take a year off following his dismissal in Houston, it wasn’t a secret that this could be a one-year marriage. Instead of lamenting over his departure, the Ravens will gladly take his fingerprints in moving forward with a 30-year-old quarterback in the prime of his career and an offensive line that showed plenty of stability and ability in a record-setting season for the offense. The Ravens have had plenty of success in the Harbaugh era, and the cost of doing good business is frequently having your assistants plucked away by other teams. With eight years of experience in Houston that included two AFC South titles, Kubiak warranted a second chance as a head coach at some point and Baltimore was aware that his hiring was unlikely to be a long-term fit.

4. The offensive line — not Joe Flacco — should be the first factor considered in finding his replacement.

The Ravens are facing the prospects of having their fourth offensive coordinator in four years, but the focus in hiring their new man should come with a goal of maintaining the success of the offensive line above anything else. The ability to run the football and protect the pocket were the biggest keys in Flacco having the finest regular season of his career. Assuming general manager Ozzie Newsome is able to add some more talent at wide receiver and tight end this offseason, Flacco will be fine in adjusting to a new offensive system, but the Ravens should find someone whose philosophy meshes will with Kubiak’s zone-blocking concepts that were executed so well by the current line. This is why Rick Dennison and Kyle Shanahan are such attractive options to replace Kubiak as very few adjustments would be needed.

5. Contrary to popular opinion, the Ravens will survive without Kubiak.

The Ravens are still just two years removed from a Super Bowl title that had nothing to do with the current offensive coordinator, making some of the fan panic over Kubiak’s departure somewhat amusing. It’s certainly disappointing to lose him, but Harbaugh has a track record of finding replacements who do just fine — and have even moved on to become head coaches themselves. The NFL is much more about having talent on the field than it is about brilliant offensive schemes as there are few secrets in how most offenses operate. With a strong front office and Harbaugh firmly in place, the Ravens will continue to be successful and Kubiak’s departure will register as little more than a speed bump in the big picture. With one of the better quarterbacks and offensive lines in the league, the new offensive coordinator will be walking into a good situation in Baltimore.

Gary Kubiak remains the offensive coordinator for now, but the Ravens can read the writing on the wall.

With the 53-year-old off to Denver to interview for the Broncos’ vacant head coaching position on Sunday, head coach John Harbaugh has to think Kubiak won’t be able to pass on the opportunity to return to the organization with which he spent 20 years as a player and assistant coach. It was always going to take a unique opportunity to entice Kubiak to leave the Ravens, and that’s exactly what was presented when the Broncos parted ways with head coach John Fox less than 24 hours after Kubiak announced his intentions to stay in Baltimore.

Assuming Kubiak is on the way out in taking his dream job, where will the Ravens turn to find their fourth offensive coordinator in the last four years?

With quarterback Joe Flacco arguably having the finest regular season of his career and the Ravens setting franchise records for points scored and total yards, continuity is ideal and no one would provide more of it than quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison being promoted to offensive coordinator. It won’t be an easy sell as his ties to Kubiak and Denver are strong and many expect him to be the top candidate to serve as the new Broncos offensive coordinator if Kubiak is hired.

But Harbaugh should sell the 56-year-old Dennison on the idea of escaping Kubiak’s shadow to establish himself as a potential head coaching candidate. Instead of going to Denver and facing an uncertain situation with Peyton Manning on his last legs or even having to start over with a new quarterback, Dennison knows he could continue working with Flacco — with whom he shares a good relationship — and an offensive line that’s a perfect fit for the zone-blocking schemes he would continue to employ.

It doesn’t hurt for Harbaugh to remind Dennison that — assuming Kubiak takes the Denver job — the last two Ravens offensive coordinators will have become head coaches after only one full season on the job. It would be a unique opportunity to establish himself as someone other than Kubiak’s right-hand man.

The Ravens would be promoting a man with plenty of experience as an NFL offensive coordinator as he served in that capacity under Mike Shanahan in Denver from 2006-2008 and with Kubiak in Houston from 2010-2013.

The biggest key for the Ravens maintaining the offensive momentum created in 2014 will be finding a coordinator whose system fits well with the methods the offensive line employed after a disastrous 2013 campaign. Dennison wouldn’t figure to change too much if he does remain in Baltimore and appears to be the only viable in-house candidate as tight ends coach Brian Pariani has just one year of experience as an offensive coordinator at the collegiate level and it came with a 2005 Syracuse team that went 1-10.

If Dennison does head to Denver to become Kubiak’s offensive coordinator, the Ravens could take another long look at Kyle Shanahan, whom they interviewed last offseason when Jim Caldwell left to become the head coach of the Detroit Lions. His ties to Kubiak also make him a candidate to wind up as the Broncos offensive coordinator, but he left a positive impression with the Ravens last year and could jump at the chance to work with Flacco and such a solid offensive line.

His post-2013 dismissal as part of his father’s staff in Washington was difficult and he had to work with mediocre quarterback play in Cleveland as the Browns offensive coordinator this past year, but Shanahan ran successful offenses in Houston as well as in Robert Griffin’s rookie season in 2012. The 35-year-old is perceived by some as having a bigger ego than his résumé justifies, but his offensive philosophies would figure to mesh well with what Kubiak and Dennison started in 2014.

Of course, the Ravens face key personnel decisions with running back Justin Forsett, wide receiver Torrey Smith, and tight end Owen Daniels becoming free agents and the future of tight end Dennis Pitta unclear, but they’d like to avoid blowing up the foundation established in 2014.

If Kubiak does leave, persuading Dennison to stay or bringing in Shanahan appear to be the best ways to continue building in the same direction.

After leading many to believe they had narrowed their choice to two other finalists for the vacated offensive coordinator job, the Ravens threw a major surprise into the equation to replace Jim Caldwell.

Former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak was awarded the job by head coach John Harbaugh, ending a search that lasted nearly two weeks. Kubiak spent the last eight years in Houston but served as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos for 11 years prior to that and is regarded as one of the better offensive minds in the NFL.

“We left no stone unturned in this search,” Harbaugh said. “We are excited about the result and cannot wait to get to work. After studying many different candidates, we believe our research and our evaluation process have been as thorough as we could make them.”

Former Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison will become Baltimore’s new quarterbacks coach while former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will not be joining the Ravens’ coaching staff after receiving serious consideration for the coordinator job. Dennison served as Kubiak’s right-hand man in Houston for the last four years, and the pair worked together in Denver prior to that.

Despite 20 years of NFL coaching experience, Dennison has never served as a quarterbacks coach, which will make his working relationship with quarterback Joe Flacco an interesting one to follow.

Both Kubiak and Dennison had long playing careers in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, which carried over to their years coaching together in the same organization.

The Ravens also have openings at running backs coach and secondary coach and could also need a new tight ends coach as longtime assistant Wade Harman is not expected to return, according to The Sun. Harman has been with the Ravens since 1999 and was the only assistant on staff for both of the franchise’s Super Bowl championships.

Former Texans tight ends coach Brian Pariani is expected to take Harman’s place while former Texans running backs coach Chick Harris or former Washington Redskins running backs coach Bobby Turner is expected to be the running backs coach, according to Jason Cole of National Football Post.

With the 52-year-old Kubiak now joining the Ravens, it remains unclear where that would leave wide receivers Jim Hostler, who was considered a finalist for the job prior to Monday’s news.

Seemingly on the verge of making a decision on their next offensive coordinator, the Ravens have apparently added another name to the mix.

According to The Sun, head coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens spent Sunday interviewing an undisclosed candidate who remains in contention with wide receivers coach Jim Hostler and former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for the job. Harbaugh has spoken to former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison in recent days, but it remains uncertain whether the 55-year-old has formally interviewed for the position.

After eliminating Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson from consideration over the weekend, the Ravens appeared to be on the verge of announcing who would succeed Jim Caldwell after the former coordinator took the head coaching job with the Detroit Lions earlier this month. However, Dennison’s appearance on the radar screen could complicate the timetable for a decision.

The Ravens are also looking to hire a quarterbacks coach, a running backs coach, and a secondary coach.

The Ravens appear to be on the verge of hiring their next offensive coordinator after narrowing the search to two finalists on Saturday.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson was informed Saturday that he would not receive the job vacated by Jim Caldwell, who accepted the head coaching position with the Detroit Lions on Jan. 14. This leaves Ravens wide receivers coach Jim Hostler and former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as the remaining finalists for the job.

It was later reported that Wilson would not be returning to Pittsburgh’s staff and will instead join the Minnesota Vikings under new head coach Mike Zimmer.

Shanahan and Hostler were each interviewed for a second time on Thursday while Wilson met with Ravens officials for a second interview on Friday. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was confirmed as a candidate earlier in the week by head coach John Harbaugh but did not receive a second interview for the coordinator job.

The 34-year-old Shanahan carries more experience as an offensive coordinator after serving in that capacity for six seasons split between the Houston Texans and Washington. The son of two-time Super Bowl champion head coach Kyle Shanahan was considered to be on a fast track to his own head coaching job prior to the Redskins suffering a 3-13 season last year that resulted in both Shanahans losing their jobs.

Meanwhile, the 47-year-old Hostler served as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007, a season in which they finished last in the NFL in both yards and points scored. After being fired by the 49ers, Hostler was hired by Harbaugh and has coached the Baltimore wide receivers for the last six seasons.

Following the firing of Cam Cameron and the promotion of Caldwell to offensive coordinator on Dec. 10, 2012, Hostler saw an increased role in helping to develop the offensive game plan as the Ravens marched to their second Super Bowl championship less than two months later. He was also responsible for relaying calls to quarterback Joe Flacco from the sideline as Caldwell worked from the upstairs booth during games.

In addition to their offensive coordinator open, the Ravens must fill vacancies at quarterbacks coach, running backs coach, and secondary coach.

Making a good impression with head coach John Harbaugh upon interviewing for the Ravens’ vacant offensive coordinator job on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson will meet with team officials for a second interview.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 52-year-old is scheduled to meet with the Ravens in Owings Mills on Friday, a development that certainly bodes well for his candidacy. With general manager Ozzie Newsome and assistant general manager Eric DeCosta among the team executives in Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl this week, the second interview would presumably allow them to meet and help evaluate Wilson as the potential choice to replace Jim Caldwell.

The Ravens are also scheduled to meet with current wide receivers coach Jim Hostler and former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for second interviews, per a report from The Sun.

It remains unknown whether former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan will receive a second interview as he was the other candidate who was confirmed by Harbaugh earlier this week.

Of the four known candidates, Wilson is the only one without NFL experience as an offensive coordinator, but he has spent the last seven years with the Steelers and was considered the favorite to become their coordinator in 2012 before he was seriously injured in a house fire. Wilson carries 16 years of NFL coaching experience on his resume and reportedly handled increased duties late last season as Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley came under fire.

The Ravens haven’t specified a clear timetable for when they’d like to have their new offensive coordinator in place, but Harbaugh told the team’s official website earlier in the week that he’d like to wrap up the process shortly with the search now in the midst of its second week.

As the search for their next offensive coordinator enters its second week, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has finally named four candidates to replace Jim Caldwell.

In addition to already conducting interviews with wide receivers coach Jim Hostler, former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and former Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan — three names who had previously been reported — the Ravens plan to interview Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson for the opening. The 52-year-old Wilson has spent the last seven seasons with Pittsburgh and carries 16 years of NFL coaching experience.

Of the four known candidates to receive interviews, Wilson is the only one without experience as an NFL coordinator, but the Pittsburgh assistant is respected around the league after previously spending time with Arizona, Tampa Bay, Washington, and New England.

According to the Ravens’ official website, Harbaugh has interviewed other candidates for the offensive coordinator job, including coaches from the collegiate ranks. The head coach has also spoken to candidates about the vacant quarterbacks coach position that was handled by Caldwell before he departed to become the new head coach of the Detroit Lions last week.

Though it was rumored that Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi could be a candidate for the Ravens’ coordinator position, he will instead become Caldwell’s new offensive coordinator in Detroit.

There is still no firm timetable for a final decision, but Harbaugh does not want the process to take much longer.

The Ravens have largely kept the outside world in the dark in regards to their ongoing search for a new offensive coordinator, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy trying to find Jim Caldwell’s replacement.

Despite former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan being the only known candidate to already interview for the job — wide receivers coach Jim Hostler will also interview at some point — the sense offered from the Ravens is that they’ve already spoken to several candidates about the position. On Friday, head coach John Harbaugh flew to Ohio for the funeral of his grandfather, Joe Cipiti, but the interview process could pick up next week if a hire isn’t made over the weekend.

As the front office and coaching staff travels to Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl, the main focus will be evaluating a talented batch of NFL draft prospects, but the Ravens could also conduct more interviews there.

“That, historically, is like a coaching convention,” senior vice president of public and community relations Kevin Byrne said to the team’s official site on Thursday. “Everybody who has a job or wants to have a job in the NFL goes to the Senior Bowl. If John continues [interviewing] into next week, it might be easier even.”

The Ravens appear to be in no rush to fill the position as they understand a high-profile job with one of the best organizations in the NFL is coveted by many assistants around the league. Despite finishing 29th in total offense last season, Baltimore has a 29-year-old franchise quarterback locked into a long-term contract and a reputation as a place where assistants have been able to thrive and eventually secure head-coaching opportunities of their own.

High-profile names such as former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and former Cleveland head coach Rob Chudzinski are out there, but the Ravens appear willing to at least explore the possibility of a young up-and-coming candidate such as the 34-year-old Shanahan or former Packers quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo, who was reportedly on the Ravens’ list of candidates to interview before he accepted the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator job earlier in the week.

Harbaugh isn’t necessarily looking for the biggest name as much as he seeks the right one for the job of breathing new life into an offensive attack that struggled mightily in 2013.

“We will have a coach that best fits what we want to be, where we want to go, and understands what Ravens football is all about,” Harbaugh said in a team statement following Caldwell’s departure. “I have a profile in mind, and we are excited about the coaches who have shown interest in the job.”

In addition to their offensive coordinator position, the Ravens have openings at running backs coach, quarterbacks coach, and secondary coach to fill.

Comments Off on Ravens’ offensive coordinator search could pick up at Senior Bowl

I have to admit this: when the Ravens do something like initiate a search for an offensive coordinator, it benefits me and the rest of the professionals at WNST.

First, it gives us talk-radio fodder, which comes in particularly handy this time around because the Ravens are not playing football in this playoff campaign.

Next, it provides me and the others here a chance to gauge the temperature and sports-intelligence-level of our customer, either the listener or reader in WNST’s case.

It also allows for us to absorb what other members of the media in town are saying about the topic at hand. What sort of “take” do they offer? Is it knee-jerk and silly or well thought out and reasoned?

This offensive coordinator search has revealed an embarrassment of riches when it comes to all of those elements I listed above.

Unfortunately, the word “embarrassment” is more appropriate than I might have first realized.

It doesn’t matter to me what your position is with regard to the Ravens current search for a new offensive mind. You are all welcome to your own opinion with regard to what candidate makes the most sense and which one should be disregarded.

Here, though, is the one incredibly DUMB thing I’m hearing and reading — from a lot of you — about any of the candidates. And here’s where I’ll add that I heard at least two other local sports radio personalities author this exact same thought, so they’re just as dumb. Actually, they’re worse — more dumber (they used the word “dumber” in a movie title, I assume it’s a word) if you will — because they’re supposedly professional.

“Well, they better not hire Jim Hostler…have you seen his track record as an offensive coordinator? He sucks.”

“Kyle Shanahan? That guy just got fired in DC. He couldn’t get along with RGIII, how’s he gonna work with Flacco?”

“Just say no to Childress. He’s friends with Harbaugh.”

Dumb. Dumber. And more dumb.

Jim Hostler was the Offensive Coordinator in 2007 in San Francisco. It was a brief, one-year tenure. It didn’t go well. The team out there, by the way, was going through a stretch of finishing .500 or worse over eight straight seasons.

Seven seasons ago Jim Hostler was the Offensive Coordinator of the 49’ers and he failed. So, should that immediately disqualify him for this Ravens’ opening? Really, should it? You mean, in his six years in Baltimore, he hasn’t learned? Hasn’t improved? Hasn’t, perhaps, figured out a better way? I’m not campaigning for Hostler in any way, shape or form. I’m on record saying I think there are more qualified candidates than him. That said, the one thing I won’t say is — “well, he can’t do the job, did you see what he did in San Francisco?”

If you sell tape recorders for The Smith Company in 2010 and fail miserably, does that mean you’re incapable of selling tape recorders for The Jones Company in 2016 when there’s an opening there? What if during that six year span you had a better sales manager who taught you a lot while you were working for The Brown Company? You failed in 2010. Does that just mean you’re going to fail again in 2016? Of course not.

That’s what you all have done in Baltimore with regard to Jim Hostler.

“He sucked in 2007 so he’s gonna suck for us, now.”

Not necessarily.

Maybe he’ll have better players at his disposal in Baltimore in 2014. That would help.

I was the golf coach at John Carroll in Bel Air in 2011 and 2012. We played sixteen MIAA matches in that span. The team went 0-16. We were shut out in 7 of the 16 matches. Last year, I was hired by Calvert Hall and we won the MIAA golf championship for the first time since 1997. Thank God the people at Calvert Hall didn’t say, “Have you seen what Drew did over at John Carroll? They didn’t win a match. We can’t hire that loser.”

If you want to point to Jim Hostler’s work in Baltimore over the last six seasons and question what role he’s played in the development of the team’s receivers, I think that’s VERY fair. So would he, I assume. But to harp on and on and on and on about one season in San Francisco back in 2007 is just dumb. Sorry if that hurts. But it’s dumb.

By the way, Bill Belichick was 36-44 in Cleveland in the 1990’s. Look at HIS record in New England.

Tony Dungy fired and fell back in Tampa Bay in the early part of last decade. Some good, some bad. He turned out to be a champion and, most likely, a Hall of Famer.

People in sports get fired all the time. It doesn’t make them a guaranteed failure down the road.

I’m glad we’re smart enough to pass that along to you.

I hope you listen.

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The times, they are a changin’ over at Towson University.

And if you have a Twitter account and you follow @WNST, you just might see that for yourself next Wednesday night.

We all know the football team has experienced a glorious turn around over the last five seasons under Rob Ambrose, but are you aware that the men’s basketball program has also been rebuilt from a 1-win team in 2011-2012 to a legitimate CAA title contender in this, his 3rd season at the school?

It’s true.

Towson basketball has experienced a great rebirth and this year, they’re spending their first ever campaign in the brand new SECU Arena, located a stone’s throw from their outstanding football stadium.

Here’s where WNST comes in.

I’m taking eight of you – plus a guest you bring – to next Wednesday night’s home game against Northeastern at SECU Arena. You’ll attend the game for free, sit in the SECU luxury box with me and the other WNST winners, and have food and drink supplied for free by the fine folks from SECU. We even some courtside seats you can all share throughout the game.

What’s the catch, Drew? Is that what you’re asking?

There isn’t one.

I’m just a nice guy. And so are the people at SECU — and they’re proud of the arena with their name on it and they want you to see it next Wednesday night.

How do you win the tickets?

Easy — today, from 6am to 5pm, tweet the words “See You At SECU” to us (@WNST). That’s it. By doing that, you’re entered. We’ll then pick four of you at random today and announce the winners via Twitter around 5:30 pm.

And if you don’t win today, we’re doing the same thing again tomorrow, Friday, January 17.

Go to Twitter today from 6am to 5pm and tweet the words “See You At SECU” to us @WNST and you might, actually, see ME at SECU Arena next Wednesday night!